In 2006, Salemi Industries thought they had a surefire moneymaking product. It was something totally new that (a) had an obvious need and (b) could be sold worldwide. Anthony Ferranti, the man behind the innovative product, had noticed that with the widespread usage of cell phones in public areas, callers needed a private place to have their conversations--and to not disturb others in, say, a restaurant. So he decided to create a solution.

That solution was his invention of what he called “The Cell Zone”, a large plastic pod that he saw as the modern equivalent of the phone booth. You could step into The Cell Zone and have a perfectly private talk without being bothered and without bothering anyone else. The early signs were good--The Cell Zone proved to be a sensation at that year’s Restaurant Show, where eatery owners expressed enormous enthusiasm for the product.

Now guess how many Cell Zones the company ended up selling? You might have an idea since you’ve probably never heard of it or seen one. The company ended up selling less than 300, and losing close to $650,000 in the process. Turned out restaurants didn’t care for the price ($3,500) and they didn’t want to give up the square footage to accommodate the privacy pods.

The moral of this particular story? You can have what you think is an awesome product with the greatest potential in the world--and still fall flat on your face. And here’s why: because, before you put everything into perfecting whatever it is you want to offer, you never tried to actually sell it.

Recently, the Harvard Business Review published an article in which they surveyed 120 entrepreneurs from all around the world to ask them what their biggest mistake had been with a product or service launch. The number one answer of more than half of these business leaders? They didn’t try to sell it early enough. To quote one of those entrepreneurs, “Don’t make anything until you sell it. Get people really interested in buying it before you invest too much time and effort.”

The fact is that few things really “sell themselves”--especially if they’re new to the marketplace. According to Booz & Company, 66% of new products fail within two years, and, according to the Doblin Group, an astonishing 96% of all innovations fail to deliver any return on a company’s investment.

Here are a few tips on how to presell your launch, so you can know whether it’s worth moving forward, or whether you need to either change it up or drop it altogether:

Beware of the Bubble!

Another regret expressed by many of the entrepreneurs surveyed by the Harvard Business Review was that they let themselves be swayed by initial sales to friends and family. These kinds of people obviously want to support you and, if the investment isn’t too big, will happily buy your product. You can also end up depending too much on your staff or co-workers’ enthusiasm for something new you want to bring to market. Again, they want to believe in what you’re doing and often won’t give you a truthful impression of what’s waiting for you in the cold, unforgiving marketplace. So don’t rely on the opinions of those in your “bubble”--survey others who don’t really have a reason to prop up your new product with manufactured praise.

Co-Create With Your Potential Customers

Today, more than ever, buyers want to feel involved with what they purchase and use--and they want to know that the seller is listening to what they have to say. That’s why increasingly the concept of co-creation, involving consumers in the actual development of a product or service, is becoming a dominant business approach. Francis Gouillart, author of The Power of Co-Creation: Build It With Them to Boost Growth, Productivity, and Profits, says a great deal of today’s R&D is being done through social media. "Social media has liberated social forces...What used to be a fairly isolated political process has become a form of business," says Gouillart.

Try Out Your Sales “Story”

We’ve written frequently about the concept of StorySelling--and, as a matter of fact, we have a whole book on the subject coming out this summer. That’s why we believe it’s crucial to see if you have a powerful enough story to tell about your new product or service--one that will convert a prospect into a buyer. For example, we will frequently discuss with a few key clients a new service we’re thinking about providing, to make sure people like them would actually want to pay for the value it would bring to their business. And they are able to do the same thing, because we provide them with a platform to share new ideas through different channels of media--print, television, radio, blogs, and books--which enables them to gauge reaction and see what sparks excitement.

Of course, some products just aren’t destined to be successes--celery-flavored Jellois one that comes to mind! But if you take the time and put as much effort into your selling as you do into your product development, you’ll have the advantage of knowing whether your new offering can really take off from the launching pad!

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Recently, the world mourned the passing of three very different and unique personalities--Margaret Thatcher, Annette Funicello, and Roger Ebert. Each member of this high-powered trio left a mark on those who loved and admired them. They also enjoyed fame for the vast majority of their lifetimes, and all three were even the subjects of movies (Meryl Streep won an Oscar last year for her portrayal of Thatcher inThe Iron Lady, Funicello had a highly rated TV movie produced about her life, and Ebert is the subject of the documentary Life Itself, which is yet to be finished).

But beyond that, you wouldn’t think they had much in common. These were not three people you would expect to see in the same room, let alone the same sentence. Think about their widely diverse careers:

• Margaret Thatcher, a transformational leader in British politics and the region’s first female Prime Minister;
• Annette Funicello, who first caught everyone’s attention (especially boys!) as one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s, then found further fame with Frankie Avalon in a series of wildly popular Beach Party movies; and
• Roger Ebert, who brought film criticism to television first with Gene Siskel, and then with a series of partners after Siskel passed away. He also became widely known for his “thumbs up/thumbs down” gestures of approval or disapproval.

These three each had a personal brand that the years never diminished. We think it’s instructional to look at why these three names endured--and will continue to endure--when so many others have faded into obscurity.

• Authenticity

We’ve written often about how authenticity is probably the most important trait for a personal brand to have, and these three had it in spades. Of all the criticisms that might be launched at them, “phony” is one that would never make the cut. They were invariably true to themselves, no matter how fashions, trends, or politics changed.

When that level of authenticity is firmly in place, a public figure will always continue to pick up followers rather than lose them. All of us encounter so many less-than-genuine people who, depending on what situation they find themselves in, present an array of different faces, that it’s a breath of fresh air to encounter those who stick to their guns.

• Consistency

Along with that authenticity came consistency. Annette was always very respectful of Walt Disney, the man who discovered her, to the point where she refused to wear skimpy bathing suits in her beach movies because he disapproved of them. Similarly, Roger Ebert championed underdog movies as well as causes he believed in, and rarely backed down from a fight. And when it came to Thatcher, anyone nicknamed “The Iron Lady” isn’t likely to bend with the wind!

When you’re consistent with your words and actions, you never disappoint those who already admire you and you end up earning the respect of the rest. Inconsistency, in contrast, creates a blurry personal brand that people have difficulty getting excited about.

• Courage

Now, courage isn’t usually a trait we ascribe to a personal brand, but these three people in particular definitely make us think twice about that omission. We were being a little coy earlier when we said these three had nothing in common besides their fame. The fact is that all three battled long-term debilitating diseases; Thatcher withAlzheimer’s, Ebert with cancer, and Funicello for over 20 years with multiple sclerosis. The courage displayed in those battles made us admire these people even more and feel more bonded to them as well.

How someone deals with tragedy can define that person more than how they deal with triumph. In the case of these three, particularly Ebert and Funicello who were able to deal with their afflictions more publicly, their stature actually grew as a result of the health difficulties they found themselves having to deal with. Their struggles were inspirational, not only to those who shared these diseases, but to those of us who just couldn’t help admiring how they faced their fates with openness and a positive attitude.

Now, underpinning all three attributes we just described was one more invaluable asset--strength. Every successful personal brand has it, as did these three. They not only set the mark for how to create an enduring personal brand, but also on how to live a life.

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Hip-hop star Kanye West may be a musical genius--but he’s definitely not one of the most liked celebrities around. He’s infamous for interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, as well as other public displays of bad behavior. When even the president of the United States goes out of his way to call you a jackass, you know you might have an image problem.

Keeping all that in mind, you might think Kanye’s days as a mainstream celebrity are over. And yet, who do you continually see in online gossip headlines, as well as entertainment TV shows? Kanye West. And why? Because, of course, he’s dating Kim Kardashian.

To say Kanye and Kim have different followings is to understate the obvious. The former has a pack of fervent music fans, the latter has a huge reality TV base. If one were to be cynical, one would say they only got together to grow their respective audiences--by tapping into each other’s celebrity status to burnish their own. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

Actually, it’s a time-honored tactic in show business to team up to increase the popularity of both parties. Think about two of 2012’s biggest hits, The Avengers and The Expendables 2. Both realized a lot more box office profits simply because a whole lot of popular heroes were together for the first time ever and their fans came together in movie theaters as well.

And, by the way, it happens in politics too. Recently, ultra-liberal Democrat Cory Bookerteamed up with ultra-conservative Republican Bill Frist to make national appearances for the cause of anti-obesity. Whether these two are both seeking to raise their profiles or are genuinely concerned about this issue (or, most likely, both), it’s clear they got together to make the biggest impact possible--by combining their very separate audiences to dramatic effect.

This works for business branding purposes as well. When you partner up with the right person--someone who has their own strong following and/or unique talents--the combination usually packs more power than each individual has on his or her own. Even more importantly, you also get access to that person’s specific audience.

For example, we’re honored to be able to work on book and TV projects with such marketing and business heavyweights as Brian Tracy, Dan Kennedy and Jack Canfield. But it’s good business for all concerned, because these greats get renewed exposure to our network in a whole new context--and our network, naturally, feels privileged to work with these legendary figures.

So think about who you can partner up with on a new project or business that could bring your product or service to a whole new audience--namely, somebody else’s. And keep in mind the following guidelines, suggested by Entrepreneur magazine, when you start searching for the right someone to join forces with:

1. Do they share your values?
If you and/or your business represent certain values, you don’t want to work with someone who doesn’t have the same affinity with those values--or, worse, openly contradicts them. You not only risk angering your base, you also risk undermining your whole business! The only exception to this rule is when, like Frist and Booker, you come together to support a cause bigger than the both of you.

2. Do they complement you and your business?
You don’t want to work with someone who does the exact same thing as you; you want to work with someone who has skills and assets that complement yours. Otherwise, that person could steal your thunder and your business. When you work with people that bring something new to the party, however, they make you look like you’re bringing added value to your customers.

3. Do they help you do your business better?
Sometimes a partner can actually fill in a critical hole in your business, such as improve your delivery system or offer a useful product extension of what you already provide. This isn’t an absolute necessity when it comes to choosing who you work with--but it is a definite plus to be on the lookout for.

4. Will both of you benefit?
When a partnership is unbalanced in this department, things have the potential to turn ugly. Resentments build quickly over one person feeling like they’re getting merely breadcrumbs, while the other is gorging on a loaf and a half. Both of you should know, going in, how this joint venture is going to do good things for each party--otherwise, you’re most likely headed for an unpleasant ending.

Celebrity Branding almost always benefits when more than one celebrity is involved. When you pick the right partner, you increase your credibility, your fan base and your star power. But there is one catch--and that’s that two negatives do not make a positive.

For example, while Kanye and Kim may have made a big media splash when they hooked up, they may have also inadvertently increased their number of individual haters. Why? Becausethey both have huge negative ‘Q’ Scores (the measurement of celebrity likeability), leading some news commentators to speculate as to whether they may actually have created the most toxic couple of all time!

So double up--not down--and double your success in the process. All it takes is the right partner to expand your market base and your influence.

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Last month, we held our first Celebrity Expert Marketing Academy. And, because our Dicks + Nanton Agency is located in Orlando, we knew we didn’t have to travel far to give our clients the best (and most productive) experience possible. We just took them all over to our neighbor’s place, which has plenty of room.

And we’re not kidding when we say that. It covers over 30,000 acres and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 24 themed resorts, two spas and fitness centers, and five golf courses.

Our neighbor, of course, is Disney World, the world’s most visited entertainment resort. And, no, we didn’t go there to ride the flying elephants at the Dumbo ride (we have plenty of time to do that on our own). Instead, we went with our clients to learn some of the special secrets that have made Disney the incredible success it’s been for over 80 years. Fortunately, the corporation has set up The Disney Institute to enable all of us not wearing mouse ears to get some inside business tips.

Many of those tips focus on providing the customer with the best experience possible. The fact is that Disney’s customer service is the gold standard for every business--because their management understands that if you don’t treat your paying patrons as you should, you’re going in the wrong direction.

So let’s talk about how to go in the right direction--with the help of a very special compass.

Walt Disney evidently loved compasses. You’ll find what’s called the “Compass Rose” in front of the walking area in front of and in back of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Not only that, but it was Compass East Corporation that began buying land in the Orlando area in the mid-1960s. That company was a cover for the Disney organization, which was snatching up property left and right for what would become Disney World; they hid their name from the transactions because, of course, sellers would have demanded more than the fair market price if they had known who was really after the transaction.

The compass, to this day, figures prominently in the Disney philosophy of customer service. For instance, we learned about the four points of The Disney Compass when it comes to how to treat a customer (an area of study Disney calls Guestology). We’d like to share these four profitable and productive directions with you here:

N - Needs
W - Wants
S - Stereotypes
E – Emotions

Let’s take these in turn and see how they impact your relationships with your clients or customers.

When we discuss a customer’s needs, we’re talking about the basics. If a person goes to the doctor, they might “need” medicine to get well. If someone goes to a CPA, they might “need” someone to do their taxes. It’s about meeting the minimum requirements of your business, whatever they might be.

Wants allow you the opportunity to kick it up a notch or two. For example, the person going to the CPA may also “want” new strategies to save on their taxes. When you provide that extra optional level of service, you differentiate yourself and give people more reason to come back to you, as well as refer you to other people.

Stereotypes require you to overcome negative impressions a customer might have of you or your business. For example, a stereotype of doctors might be that they only care about money and don’t care how long they make you cool your heels in the waiting area. If you are an MD, you can overcome that stereotype by attempting to minimize a patient’s waiting time and maximizing the one-on-one consultation time with you.

Finally, it’s common knowledge that emotions are often more powerful than logic when it comes to buying decisions. That’s why it’s always important to tap into what makes your customers or clients feel good about buying from you and focus on that in your delivery and fulfillment systems.

The Disney Institute is full of simple concepts like the above that enable you to bring a clear, yet sophisticated approach to doing business in the best possible way. We love to deliver those kinds of concepts to our clients (as well as ourselves, because we find they work like gangbusters), and we’re happy to share this one with you here.

With that in mind, we’ll leave you with seven more big ideas from seven rather small guys that will enable you to serve your clientele at the highest level possible.

1. Be Happy…make eye contact and smile!

2. Be like Sneezy…greet and welcome each and every client. Spread the spirit of Hospitality…it’s contagious!

3. Don’t be Bashful…seek out client contact.

4. Be like Doc…provide immediate service recovery.

5. Don’t be Grumpy…always display appropriate body language at all times.

6. Be like Sleepy…create dreams and preserve the magical client experience.

7. Don’t be Dopey…thank each and every customer!

Keep those seven principles in mind and you’re sure to dwarf the competition.

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For years, cyclist champion Lance Armstrong denied using performance-enhancing drugs to aid him in his record-setting string of Tour de France titles. He stonewalled critics, threatened whistleblowers, and repeatedly denied all doping charges.

Until this week.

Armstrong threw himself at the mercy of the official court of public opinion this week--that would be Oprah Winfrey’s show – and finally admitted to doing what he’s been denying for over a decade.

Is Armstrong doing too little too late?

It’s probably too soon to tell. Armstrong, of course, has done a lot of good throughLivestrong, his cancer survivors’ charity. But unnecessary damage has been done to what was once an amazing success story simply by being unwilling to acknowledge simple facts. Armstrong’s heated denials of the drugs he is now finally acknowledging taking has resulted in behavior that some judge as being worse than the actual doping itself.

The point is you can only hold off brutal reality for so long, and the longer you try, the more you put your brand story at risk. Your authenticity begins to suffer and the public begins to lose trust in what you stand for. Since the Watergate scandal all the way back in 1974, the truth of the mantra, “It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up,” has just loomed larger and larger, especially in this area of social media transparency, where every lie gets magnified to a gargantuan scale.

So, what’s a personal or corporate brand to do when it’s confronted with an unpleasant situation that’s not about to go away on its own?

Last year, a client of ours faced his own dilemma along these lines. Tracy Myers, owner of theFrank Myers AutoMaxx dealership in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina, found his business under attack from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) for a single phrase he had used in some YouTube videos promoting his business. They claimed the phrase was deceptive; he claimed it was just the dealership’s policy, but, nonetheless, pulled the offending videos down.

He was shocked a few months later to find out that the government agency was publicly accusing him of deceptive advertising, even though he had done everything required by the agency to comply with their requests.

Tracy didn’t take this lying down--nor was he about to let the negative news play out and harm his business. He immediately took to his social media outlets and began telling his side of the story, and quickly got a smattering of positive support from his followers. That motivated him to go back to YouTube and post his own videos explaining what had happened with the FTC and why it was unfair.

Virtually all the comments he got on the video were positive. Not only that, but some of the car dealer’s supporters got together and took their own photo holding up “Free Uncle Frank!” (Uncle Frank being the car lot’s mascot) signs, which they posted on Facebook. Tracy was also lauded for how he dealt with a potentially difficult business situation.

The truth is you can turn around a negative and find substantial support in the process. Here are three tips we believe can help improve almost any difficult situation when it comes to your personal or professional brand:

1. Get out in front of the story.

Tracy Myers didn’t wait when the FTC action hit. He immediately put out his side of the story (one of the distinct advantages social media has to offer all of us) before bad publicity could snowball. In contrast, Armstrong saw a problem he would inevitably have to confront grow to monstrous proportions before he did act. If he hadn’t been so afraid to deal with the issues, he might have found ways to mitigate the damage along the way.

2. Be as honest and transparent as possible.

Do any of us remember that late night favorite David Letterman was once embroiled in a huge sex scandal? It all went away pretty quickly--because, when it broke, Letterman at once took to the airwaves on his show to admit his culpability in a forthcoming and serious way (so forthcoming that the audience actually laughed, because they didn’t think he could possibly be serious). The incident did little to no damage to his career, simply because he handled it as honestly as possible, even though he was guilty.

3. Make the media your own.

There’s no point in playing someone else’s game, especially when, today more than ever, you can take the ball and run with it as far as you want. That’s exactly what Tracy Myers did when he used YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and every other online outlet he could to get his message out. The worst you can do is put yourself in a reactive position to what someone else is saying about you; it’s better to be proactive and control how your message is delivered and presented to your public. Armstrong limiting his exposure to a single Oprah interview was actually the smartest way to do a “confession.”

Everyone faces personal and professional challenges that threaten their personal brand at some point--it’s part of being a human being. It’s how you handle those challenges that really determine what the ultimate impact will be.

When Armstrong finally decided to go on Oprah, it was at a point where he really had no choice if he ever wanted a shot at public redemption. It would have been smart to act sooner and more decisively.

As David Letterman demonstrated, we are much more forgiving of those who come clean at the first sign of trouble; it’s much harder to support someone who’s accused of playing with matches and won’t admit it until the house has burnt down. Admit quickly and self-correct (if necessary) immediately. Every second you don’t take action is another second you’ve lost to repair your reputation.

As another year comes to a close, everyone is posting all kinds of 2012 Top Ten Lists. Don't believe us? Well, if you happen to have a few minutes during the holiday rush, here are 55 of them, courtesy of Time magazine.

Frankly, we can't resist the temptation to offer one of our own--focusing on our own specialty, of course. Without further ado, here is our 2012 Top Ten List Celebrity Branding Success Stories, celebrating those notables who best exemplified a specific and crucial facet of building a successful personal brand.

10. Honey Boo Boo

There's no question that TLC reality superstar Honey Boo Boo captured the nation's heart this year--and we think that's because this little girl and her family exemplified the personal branding quality of authenticity--if not the qualities of good nutrition (check out their "sketti" recipe and then contemplate their cholesterol counts!). Honey and her homies were always themselves, no matter what the situation--and that includes their pet pig, Glitzy! It wasn't for everybody, but it was for a huge number of TV viewers.

9. Chris Christie

Many conservatives lost their mind when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was showngiving some love to President Obama a week before the Presidential election, but actually, Christie was giving himself a co-branding advantage. Co-branding is when two unlikely brands combine forces (think of James Bond and Heineken teaming up in Skyfall) to broaden their bases and gain more exposure. In Christie's case, his bipartisan effort with Obama after Hurricane Sandy sparked a 19-point rise in his approval rating, bringing it to record-breaking heights.

8. James Bond

Speaking of James Bond, no matter what he's drinking these days, 007 has proven himself to be one celebrity brand that never quits. As a matter of fact, his latest screen adventure is his most popular ever, and that's quite an accomplishment after a half century of movie heroics. Why is he still so successful? Because the producers haven't been afraid to move him forward with some solid brand evolution. The film successfully captures 2012 sensibilities, even though Bond originated during The Cold War in the 1950s. When a brand stands still, it gets left in the past. When a brand stays contemporary, it can continue to connect.

7. Lana Del Rey

Singer Lana Del Rey first burst onto the scene in 2011 as a YouTube sensation, and her uniquemusical style caused people to either love her or hate her. She appeared visibly uncomfortableduring a musical performance on NBC's Saturday Night Live last year, which made more music aficionados question her professionalism and authenticity. However, she didn't let any of this backlash stop her--and her new album has actually gotten her some respect. By showing integrity when it came to her core brand, she overcame the hate and established herself as a comer.

6. The Obama Campaign

Last month, Obama won a bigger victory than expected--many attributed the high turnout in his favor to his campaign's savvy use of social media. 45% of registered voters said they were motivated to vote by Facebook, Twitter and the like, indicating the increased importance of using these social sites to promote any celebrity brand.

5. Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas became a superstar at the London Summer Olympics with her record-breaking gymnastic feats. Sometimes a celebrity brand is sparked simply by an incredible display of high performance; whether you break world records or sales records, your audience is bound to take notice.

4. The Avengers

This Marvel-ous superhero movie became the biggest hit of 2012, but that success was actually several years in the making. The Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor movies first introduced the team members in their own hit films, plus each teased the forthcoming Avengers film with appearances by group ringleader Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson). This is a shining example of how a solid brand strategy can multiply brand success.

3. Kony 2012

In early March, if you were even a casual user of social media, you couldn't get away from the viral video Kony 2012, as millions of people around the globe were sharing it. A poll suggested that over half of American young adults had heard of the video within days of its release. The video, which promoted the cause of the San Diego-based organization Invisible Children, demonstrated just what effective storytelling is capable of--which is why we consider it themost powerful personal branding tool (and which is also why we're writing a book about it!).

2. Jeremy Lin

In February of 2012, "Linsanity" hit the Big Apple--when Jeremy Lin, a player who was about to be cut by the New York Knicks, suddenly became the team's star player, with a series of awesome games in which he made the difference between a win and a loss. When you can successfully engineer that kind of unexpected shock and awe demonstration, you surprise your competition, delight your intended audience, and instantly create a memorable celebrity brand.

1. The Mayans

How can a culture that hit its peak more than a thousand years ago grab tons of publicity all year long? Easy: just predict the end of the world (or not). Yes, if you want to really draw an awesome amount of attention to your celebrity brand, simply make an apocalyptic prediction. There, of course, is only one problem with this approach: Every single doom-and-gloom forecast, so far anyway, has been wrong (and here's another Top 10 list to prove it). And let's face it--even if you do get lucky and hit it right, you're not really going to have a lot of time to enjoy your newfound fame. Better to stick with the branding ideas in the previous nine entries!

Have a happy and prosperous holiday season--and here's hoping your personal brand yields some excellent dividends in 2013!

In the last couple of weeks, have you ever heard so much about Twinkies? I mean, since you were six years old?

In case you missed our recent national panic attack, America collectively gasped when it was announced that the Hostess snack food company was going out of business due to a labor dispute and, as a result, its flagship product, Twinkies, would soon disappear from store shelves.

The Twinkie feeding frenzy quickly began. Shoppers stormed stores to hoard the packaged treats, and escalating bids for Twinkies and Twinkie-related products were soon helping eBay sellers realize some pretty delicious profits. Twinkies even became a political football (were they the victim of Obamacare or vulture capitalism?) and, closer to home, grandpa got pretty angry about the potential loss of his beloved munchie.

What’s funny about all this sudden Twinkie worship is that Twinkies have weathered their share of branding storms over the years. There was the urban legend that Twinkies are made of so many ingredients that aren’t real food that they remain edible forever (not true--they have a shelf life of about 25 days). There was the infamous “Twinkie defense,” employed unsuccessfully in 1979 by the man who shot the San Francisco mayor (as well as city supervisor Harvey Milk), who claimed that too much junk food caused him to turn homicidal. And, of course, Twinkies have been the butt of jokes in shows like Family Guy and movies such as Wall-E. Any brand faces challenges--particularly one that’s been around for more than 80 years. If a brand is carefully built, however, it can be strong enough to sustain almost any bad press.

So--how can you make sure your personal brand is up to the Twinkie standard? Here are a few tips, courtesy of The Disney Institute, that lead to long-lasting success.

1. The Emotional Connection

The strongest way you can bond your audience to your brand is through emotion, and the best way to create that emotional component is through storytelling. We’ve written about the power of storytelling before, because it’s an integral part of our approach on behalf of our clients. When you frame your brand’s story in the right way, you reach people on a very deep level.

Twinkies, by the way, are fortunate in the fact that most of us have already crafted our own Twinkie brand story in our heads. Because they’ve been around so long, we all grew up with them; they were an integral part of many a childhood lunch. That’s why the thought of them not being around anymore elicited so much panic.

2. Employees as an Emotional Engine

Disney calls its theme park employees their “cast members,” and they all receive careful instructions on how they should present themselves to Disney guests. To quote the Disney institute, “Brand loyalty…is seen as a reciprocal relationship, beginning with us. Each cast member, regardless of rank, understands that we must be loyal to our customers to receive loyalty in return.”

Similarly, the people who work for you, or even vendors who interact with the general public on your behalf, should act as ambassadors of your “brand story” with points of difference in their presentations that set you apart from the competition. Beyond that, your products should be packaged and labeled in a manner that also extends your brand story.

3. Build Repeat Business

If your brand doesn’t prompt people to come back to you for more, how in the world will it have any longevity? That means you must make sure your brand truly connects with your target audience and that you continue to expand its appeal beyond its original buyers. Also, as Disney makes clear, you need to be your toughest critic. If you’re not honest enough to confront your brand’s weaknesses and find ways to continually improve your delivery, you’re not giving folks the motivation to keep buying from you.

Twinkies may not, in reality, last forever…but their brand just might, and so can yours. We should all aim to build a brand with the lasting value of America’s favorite snack--but maybe with a little more nutritional value.

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Did you ever try to add one channel to your cable or satellite TV service? If you tried, you probably failed, because TV channels are routinely bundled by the big boys like DirecTV, DISH, and Time Warner. That means if you want TLC, you might have to also pay for the History Channel. If you want MTV, you might also have to pay for VH1.

This practice prompted Senator John McCain to tell The Washington Post, “When I go to the grocery store to buy a quart of milk, I don’t have to buy a package of celery and a bunch of broccoli....I don’t like broccoli.”

Senator McCain is lucky--there are many grocery stores to choose from and none of them would ever attempt to make you buy broccoli to get milk. However, it’s most likely that there is only one company bringing TV into your living room at this moment, and it will most likely make you subscribe to BroccoliTV if you desperately want The Milk Channel (if, of course, either of those entities actually existed).

The practice of bundling, selling more than one product together in a package deal, is an effective marketing practice that can boost your sales and your revenues if used correctly. However, because you undoubtedly have more competition than DirecTV, you can’t get away with “pure bundling,” in which the customer can’t buy one or more items in the bundle separately. Studies have shown that will actually reduce your sales by over 20%.

In most cases, however, bundling is a highly effective marketing approach. The book industry, a business with more competition than it knows what to do with, has recently discovered its benefits. A few months ago, a U.K. imprint, Angry Robot, began offering a free digital copy of each print version of a book it sells. Now, you might think that would water down sales. What’s to stop readers from passing out the e-books to friends and keeping the print copy for themselves? Well, the opposite happened--the new practice actually tripled their sales and shifted the focus from "print vs. digital" to "added value." And those extra revenues were created with absolute minimum costs, since e-books have a one-time-only production cost.

Other publishers have recently found other advantages with bundling. The Wall Street Journalearlier this year reported on book companies that are now using bundling to bring attention to book titles that lacked the visibility to spur sales on their own. Publishers are bundling them with more established books, either by discounting the second book or, in some cases, just plain giving it away (especially if it’s a digital copy). "It's a way for us to introduce for free an author to a reader that they might want to know," Maja Thomas, senior vice president of Hachette Digital, told the Journal.

Here are a few of the many benefits that bundling your products can bring:

* The buyer gets to determine value.

Say you’re bundling a video and a book together for $50. One customer might think the video was worth $40 and the book was worth $30, while another customer might flip those values around, with the book being worth $40 and the video $30. That doesn’t matter, because both customers will agree that they’re getting a deal by purchasing the two products for $50.Etsy.com cites this as a primary reason for sellers to bundle on their site.

* Bundling spurs quicker sales.

Studies show that a bundle that appears to be a great deal will motivate buyers to act more quickly than they would have otherwise. If you’ve ever added an item to the cart on Amazon.com, you’ve seen how they’ll “suggest” an additional similar product at a lower cost if you buy both, and if that sort of bundling didn’t work, they wouldn’t do it!

* Bundling spotlights products that are being ignored.

Yoking a forgotten product to a popular one is a way to help the former gain recognition with the help of the latter. TV networks used to do this all the time--classic shows like Seinfeld andM*A*S*H didn’t become ratings successes until they were moved into timeslots next to other much more popular shows and viewers actually sampled them. If you feel one of your products didn’t take off like it should have, this is an excellent way to give it a “second life.”

* Bundling offers big profits on products that have little to no extra production costs.

As noted, giving away a free copy of an e-book with a printed book costs the publisher almost nothing, but brings a lot of added value to the buyer. Similarly, most Blu-ray movies are now packaged with DVD and digital copies of the same film, because the extra cost is almost non-existent, as is the case with copies of video games. In this age of digital products, it’s easy to add a pre-existing product, charge more for the bundle, and trigger extra revenues that otherwise wouldn’t have existed.

Again, bundling works best when you offer the customer a choice. The more control buyers feel they have, the more comfortable they are choosing your products. Remember the days before iTunes, when, if you wanted a great song, you had to buy a whole CD that probably mostly sucked? That made you feel like you had been ripped off--and that’s not a feeling you ever want your customers to take away from a sale.

“Once upon a time…”

Those four little words, when combined, have an amazing allure, simply because we know that they signify that something special is about to happen…a story.

Humanity has used stories from the beginning to bind communities, create movements, inspire religions and promote patriotism.  From cave drawings to campfire tales, from papyrus writings to the Guttenberg Bible, our species has always rallied around stories – narratives that had the ability to hit us where we live and take us to someplace new.

At our agency, we make what we call “story-selling” an essential component of our branding efforts with our clients.  We’ve seen first-hand that, when you create the proper story, you’ve done most of the heavy-lifting required to build a successful brand.

The question, though, is why – why do stories have such “primal power” when it comes to influencing an audience?

It turns out there’s a perfectly good scientific explanation: Stories affect us on both on an incredibly deep intellectual and emotional level that studies are just beginning to understand.

That quest began when scientists discovered that fictional stories affected the same region of the brain that reacts when we ourselves are engaged in real-life drama.  Stories create a bonding empathy which causes us to strongly identify with the made-up protagonist – as if we were, in fact, that person.  In other words, stories have such impact because our brains actually get a little mixed-up as to what’s real and what’s not.

Further investigation has revealed that the actual physical process triggered by stories is the release of oxytocin, which is a hormone that’s usually affected by close emotional interaction – which is why its nickname is “the love hormone.”  Researcher Paul Zak from Claremont Graduate University, California, explains how oxytocin makes well-crafted stories that we read in books and watch in films and on television irresistible:  "We are empathetically engaged. We are treating this as if it is our real family. We can't help but care for these people."

Scientists have also determined why stories are so important to our intellectual activity: Our brains use them to process different strands of information and make sense of it all.  It’s no secret that our early ancestors created elaborate stories about various mythological gods to explain various natural phenomena they couldn’t understand.  Frankly, all of us are always after an explanation for why things are the way they are.

Think about all the data you take in on a daily basis (especially these days when non-stop information is the rule, not the exception); for the most part, it adds up to nothing but chaos.  Your brain, however, desperately wants a narrative to make it all understandable – even if that narrative happens to be wrong.

This is why certain stories have “primal power” as well as an enduring fascination.  Consider that NBC’s coverage of the Olympics in recent years, including this year’s London games, has focused extensively on the stories of the U.S. athletes’ various challenges and struggles, so that the events themselves have more narrative power.  And then there are the multitude of network one-hour “procedural” dramas, the alphabet-soup of CSI, L&O and NCIS shows and spin-offs, in which the killer is always caught and the audience is allowed to feel things are under control.

When someone’s brand story hits “the sweet spot” with his or her intended audience, the effects can be far-reaching and incredible – because it’s all about biology.  We can’t help but be drawn in by a great story.  That’s why Donald Trump knows it’s valuable to keep sounding off about whatever he wants – because being outspoken is his “brand story,” just as elegant entertaining is Martha Stewart’s and everyday cooking is Rachael Ray’s.  Their brands endure because the public wants to keep hearing their “stories.”

The power of storytelling is no fairy tale.  So put a strong story in place with your brand – that is, if you want your business to have a happy ending.

Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode where Jerry strikes up a friendship with former baseball great Keith Hernandez? Hernandez calls Jerry up to ask him to help him move out of his apartment, and Jerry completely freaks out, because, as the comedian puts it, "I mean, I hardly know the guy. That's a big step in a relationship. The biggest. That's like going all the way!"

Human relationships, like Seinfeld, are funny. There are invisible lines you're not supposed to cross until you've reached certain levels of familiarity with a person. And that's not just true with friends and dates--it's also true with business.

Case in point: a new study in the Harvard Business Review revealed that, by the time a customer actually engages a salesperson, that buyer's mind is already made up 60% of the time. In other words, when you start pursuing a prospect at the moment that they're ready to buy something you sell, you're oftentimes already too late. They know who they're going to buy from--and chances aren't great it's going to be you.

Why? Because as Seinfeld will tell you, it's way too soon to go all the way with somebody they hardly know.

That's why the best salespeople don't drop everything and jump after a customer who has an immediate demand, if they don't already have a relationship with that customer. Instead, they either work to shape demand or cultivate relationships with leads who are likely to develop demand.

That approach puts the salesperson at the beginning of the customer's buying process, rather than at the end of it. Yes, you're there when there's very little chance of any immediate payoff, but you're actually doing the most important work of all when it comes to sales; creating arelationship. By the time that the customer is ready to "go all the way," they're comfortable doing it with you, because they know you and trust you. You're not perceived as some hustler trying to swoop in at the last minute to make a quick buck.

To look at this concept from another perspective, it's long been established that follow-up marketing is all-important to creating an eventual sale. Statistics from the National Sales Executive Association show that only 2% of sales are made on the first contact, while 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact. What's rarely mentioned, however, is why follow-up marketing works; the reason is that it's essential to building the kind of successful relationship with the customer that creates the conditions for a sale.

It's not just about meeting a customer's needs; it's about being trusted to meet a customer's needs. Trust is something that takes time to earn. Just ask Jerry Seinfeld.  In that same episode, Kramer can't believe Jerry actually agreed to help Hernandez move. He yells at him, "You said 'YES!?' Don't you have any pride or self respect? I mean what are you going to do next? You're going to start driving him to the airport?"

To which Jerry angrily replies, "I'm NOT driving him to the airport!"

If you want to make the sale--or just get a ride to the airport--make sure you've got the relationship established enough to allow that to happen. Be there at the beginning, and you won't get left out at the end.

It's been a long and grueling campaign for Romney, one that saw numerous candidates surpass him in the polls before ultimately fading out. But after months of campaigning, Romney can finally set his aim at the White House. While he’s doing so, let’s take a moment to examine the marketing strategies that ultimately proved successful:

1) Consistency counts. While Romney has faced criticism for the way in which his convictions have evolved over the years, there is no questioning the consistency of his message during the primary campaign. While Rick Santorum generated controversy by addressing social issues and Newt Gingrich talked of putting a base on the moon, Mitt Romney hammered home his economic message day after day. In an election year where the economy is overwhelmingly the largest concern for voters, his focus paid off.

2) You can’t win votes (or sell products) without exposure. Romney’s critics complain that his ability to blanket the airwaves with campaign commercials was the key to his victory. Whatever you may believe about the role of money in politics, there is no denying that you can’t win without exposure. The same is true of your business—if you want to dominate your market, you must seek consistent exposure through credible channels.

3) Systems and discipline are essential for long term success. Romney’s closest competitors down the stretch were Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. While both of them inspired passionate support, they also made critical organizational mistakes which may have cost them the nomination. Gingrich was unable to meet the requirements to appear on the ballot in his home state of Virginia, while Santorum was ineligible to compete for nearly 25% of the delegates in the crucial Ohio primary. Passion and enthusiasm are great—but if you can’t back them up with rock-solid marketing and management systems, you will eventually flame out.

4) Control the conversation. Mitt Romney’s fundamental pitch is simple: his years of spectacular success in the private sector position him as uniquely qualified to turn the struggling economy around. He didn’t have the foreign policy experience that many of his rivals boasted. His conservative credentials were often questioned. But by refusing to let the conversation stray from his strengths, Romney was able to minimize the impact of these weaknesses.

Mitt Romney’s candidacy wasn’t the most dramatic—but his discipline and his consistent message allowed him to come out on top. How can you apply these principles to your ownbranding and marketing campaigns?

Mother's Day recently got me thinking about the power of Mom. No, I'm not talking about her power to get us to finish all our vegetables or clean up our rooms--I'm talking about her power in 2012 to brand.

Let's face it, the American mother is an incredibly iconic figure that is constantly changing and growing. That evolution is most evident from television over the years; from the sweet 1950s apron-and-pearls portrayals provided by Donna Reed and June Cleaver to today's TV housewives that are both Desperate and Real. Moms are long past being just about apple pie and folding laundry; they've become a force to be reckoned with on all fronts.

That became very apparent a few weeks ago when Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen said a few words on CNN that set off a political firestorm of epic proportions. Rosen made the assertion that Ann Romney, the wife of Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, "never worked a day in her life" because she didn't work outside of the home.

Moms rose up as one to state the obvious; stay-at-home parents are on the job 24/7. Can you even put a dollar sign on all they do? Well, Salary.com took a shot at with its Mom Salary Survey, concluding that a full-time mom should be making at least $110,000 per year.  And even if she was only being a mom part-time, she still should be making $66,000 on top of her regular paycheck.

Should be, but isn't--which is why some enterprising mothers are taking to the Internet to create a "celebrity mom" status for themselves and using it to brand their own entrepreneurial endeavors (at this point, who hasn't read Dooce or The Pioneer Woman?). It makes sense; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in four married mothers with children younger than 15 stay home with their kids--and they could probably use the extra household income. And running a business out of a home is increasingly commonplace. As a matter of fact, according to another U.S. Census survey, home is now where over half of the businesses in the U.S. are located.

There aren't any stats readily available on how many stay-at-home moms are becoming entrepreneurs (as CNN points out here), but you can find examples of  Mom power in action everywhere. Check out Dorothy Beal's site, Mile Posts, to see how this amazing woman and mother of three overcame a medical condition to become a marathon runner, and then branded herself to take advantage of sponsorship and advertising opportunities. Then there's Jen, The Suburban Mom, who promotes brands and special deals through her website, and Holly, who runs a fitness program to help transform any out-of-shape mom into a "Fit Yummy Mummy," at ClubFYM.com.

These are just three examples of so-called "ordinary" moms who took tried-and-true brandingprinciples and transformed themselves into marketing powerhouses. The lesson here? The ordinary becomes extraordinary when you leverage your everyday status to attract others just like you to your business.

So, dads, you'll have to wait closer until Father's Day to get your due. In the meantime, let's not forget that when you turn "Mom" upside down, you get "Wow."

However, I would first ask her permission before you do that.

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Does the title of this blog ring a bell?

It might if you were listening in English class; "Attention must be paid," was the plaintive cry of Willy Loman's wife in the classic American play, "Death of a Salesman," now enjoying a hugely successful revival on Broadway.  Spoiler alert:  her husband ends up committing suicide because...well, attention wasn't paid.

People need attention.  It motivates them, it inspires them and it engages them.  Most importantly, it makes them buy from you.  When you don't pay attention to your clients, however, it can cost you - and that loss could add up to a lot more than a sale.

For example, did you know the main reason doctors get sued?  Believe it or not, it's not because of medical mistakes - it's because, again, attention wasn't paid.

As detailed in Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Blink," researcher Wendy Levinson recorded hundreds of conversations between surgeons and their patients.  Now, half of these surgeons had never been sued by a patient, while the other half had been sued - at least twice, as a matter of fact. 

The differences were striking.  The litigation-free surgeons spent, on average, three more minutes per patient than the second; they were also more inclined to engage in active listening, meaning they actually paid attention to what the patients said and responded accordingly - and with empathy.   The other doctors were cold and abrupt;  Levinson ended up being able to predict which surgeons would get sued just based on the tone they used with their patients.

It's not just uncommunicative doctors who can feel this kind of pain.  Lou Cassara, a principal at Cassara Associates, talked to more than five thousand financial services clients to find out why they switched from one advisor to another.  He found that over 80% left not because of bad advice, but because of a poor relationship with the rejected advisor.

Finally, let's take one more look at an incredibly critical business-client scenario; Disney World and kids.  The world famous theme park wanted to know which part of the Disney Magic most captivated the kiddies - so they hired a cultural anthropologist and business expert Kare Anderson to follow some little ones around as they hit the park with their parents.

As detailed in the Harvard Business Journal,  the results were a little shocking.  The kids paid the most attention to their parents' cell phones.  Why?  Because that's where the parents focused their attention, suddenly rendering Mickey Mouse irrelevant.   Disney wrongly assumed they were the center of attention in this relationship, but clearly, kids primarily pick up their cues from their parents no matter where they are.  Because the parents couldn't or wouldn't focus on their offspring, the fun factor was suddenly diminished.

So how's your focus when you're talking to clients?  Are you checking Facebook on your iPhone emails or actually interacting on a genuine level with them?  If you're not concentrating on the relationship - and you're not demonstrating appropriate empathy for their concerns - you're unraveling the crucial personal bonds that keep them coming back to you with their business.

Remember, attention must be paid - or you might not be.

Larry King is back...kind of.

The legendary TV host will be back in front of audiences once again, but this time it will be over the Internet, not over the airwaves. Ten years ago, the idea of a credible personality like Larry King launching a web-based show would have been laughable, but the fact that it barely raised eyebrows today indicates how accepted the medium of Internet TV has become. In fact, a 2011 study shows that over 70 million adults in the United States watch full-length TV shows online. That number is rapidly rising, and the same study projects that in 2014, over 190 million adults will be watching TV online.

The emergence of Internet TV has repercussions for business owners as well. Video is a fantastic way to connect with your audience while building credibility at the same time. I’ve received many questions from clients and others about the concept of Internet TV and whether or not it is worth pursuing, so today we’re going to take some time to evaluate the medium.

In December, I did an interview with Andrew Lock, a TV/video marketing specialist and an all-around marketing expert. He explains that the value of an Internet TV show really comes down to establishing yourself and your business as unique while at the same time establishing trust and building a relationship:

“The fundamental problem these days is being able to stand out from the crowd," he said. "There’s no such thing these days as a unique business. And so, because it’s so easy to set up a website these days and to send emails and those kind of things online, everybody’s doing it, and so it is harder to stand out.

And so because of that, it really caused me to go back to basics and think what makes people want to buy anything, and really, it is all about relationships. It’s people getting to know, like and trust you. And the very best way to achieve that goal is to have a face-to-face meeting with people. Email is very impersonal, as is direct mail and other methods like that. And so the very best method is face-to-face, but it’s not practical to scale it.

So I realized that the next best thing to a face-to-face meeting would be videos, because people still get to hear and see you and look at your gestures, and really build a bond in a much more powerful way than these other methods.”

You’ve often heard me say that people prefer to do business with people that they know and trust… and as Andrew points out, connecting with prospects via video or Internet TV really is the next best thing to face-to-face.

In addition to being an effective way to form a relationship, there is no question that Internet TV has the potential to reach a huge audience. Larry King wouldn’t be putting his credibility on the line if it didn’t--and there are plenty of success stories that demonstrate the power of Internet TV. In fact, Mike Wolfe (currently hosting the popular show American Pickers) launched his program on YouTube and built such a following that the History Channel offered him a show on their network. (I’ll be speaking alongside Mike, discussing Internet TV and other tech-related subjects, at a private event in Nashville this summer--and I’m also excited about the opportunity to take a trip with him to his new store!)

Larry King’s latest venture, in addition to success stories like Mike Wolfe’s, have made it clear that Internet TV is here to stay. If you’re evaluating whether or not launching an Internet TV presence is worth the time and the resources, ask yourself this question: Will an Internet TV show allow me and my business to reach my audience? Like any marketing channel, Internet TV is not right for every business. But the rapid pace of technological innovation means that more of your customers are going to be moving online each and every day. If you believe that you can connect with your market via Internet TV, take the first steps now--don’t wait for your competitors to beat you to it.

Internet TV is an exciting and innovative way for business owners to reach their clients. It utilizes the power of face-to-face conversation, without requiring the massive budget needed to reach an audience through “traditional” TV.

Rumors are swirling across the blogosphere regarding the expected introduction of Apple’s iPad 3—the third iteration of their groundbreaking tablet device. And while the specifications of the device have yet to be revealed, experts project that millions will be sold in 2012 alone.

The idea of an Apple product selling like hotcakes isn’t surprising. But when you consider the difficult economic environment Apple has battled over the past four years, the success they have achieved is remarkable. It’s even more impressive when you consider that Apple products are rarely, if ever, cheaper than the competition. The iPad, for instance, retails for $499. Competitors, such as the Kindle and other tablets, often sell for $200 or less. Yet, in 2011, Apple controlled a whopping 66% of the tablet market.

Apple has achieved what every business owner dreams of: the ability to charge premium rates and still attract business. Apple has successfully refused to compete on the basis of price—and your business can too. Here are four ways Apple has accomplished this… can you apply these principles to your business?

1) Powerful branding. Thanks to a well-executed branding campaign, Apple has built a brand that is trendy, cool, and technologically advanced. The iPhone, in particular, has become a status symbol for many.

2) Strategic marketing. Every time a new product is launched, customers line up for hours (if not days) outside Apple retail locations. And every time, a product shortage prompts anxiety and even desperation from customers who were unable to get their hands on the product. The result is a palpable feeling of scarcity and value—customers feel privileged to fork over $500 for an iPad! While Apple won’t admit that they intentionally create product shortages in order to create a buzz, it’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t be able to meet everyone’s demand on day one if they so chose.

3) Excellent customer service. Apple Care, the company’s warranty and customer care program, provides a level of service that is unparalleled in the electronics industry. The peace of mind that comes from knowing that expert help is a phone call away is a big part of the value Apple provides.

4) A product that doesn’t disappoint. Branding, marketing, and customer service don’t mean anything if the product is disappointing. Apple doesn’t cut corners and doesn’t make promises that its products can’t keep—resulting in customers that are consistently thrilled with their purchase. At the end of the day, if a product can’t live up to the expectations set by its marketing, it won’t be successful for the long term.

Apple doesn’t compete on price—and your business doesn’t have to, either. Apply these lessons… and you’ll find that you have the ability to charge premium prices and still win the business!

In today's post, as promised, we're going to reveal the secret formula for media success. But, before we get into that there's three things you have to do to grow your business--media, marketing, and PR.

Let's cover how many people make the same avoidable mistakes. A lot of people spend a ton of money on creating media. Let's look the example using video. A business will hire a video production company. They'll spend oodles of money to try to get a great looking video and then when the final video is delivered, they are often in a bind. They're now out of money and they don't have a plan for what they're going to do with the video to get it into the hands of the people they want to see it.

Or, a business will hire a marketing firm but they won't have any media or PR to help the marketing firm get the message out. Or, lastly, one of the biggest mistakes I see is when people hire a PR firm and they don't have any media or marketing to back up the PR.
So here is the secret. we call it the "business trifecta" for growing your bottom line. You've got to have a healthy combination of media, marketing and PR in every single thing that you do. Not just one of these elements.

Let's look an example based on what we do for authors. We put together books where we guarantee best-seller status. One of the things we do is we produce a great hardcover book. That takes care of the media element. Then, we help market the books and we guarantee best-seller status. We actually handle the marketing to get the books to best-seller status and we teach our authors more than 30 ways to use a book to grow their business. Finally, we put out press talking about how they the authors just hit the best-sellers' list, and another one that the author got signed to a publishing deal. In essence, these authors get everything they need--media, marketing and PR, all-in-one. This example is really not designed to be a blatant pitch for what we do, but it's one of the few examples I could find of an all-in campaign.

The point is that in everything you do to promote your business you need to have a plan for media, marketing and PR.

Okay, now that you understand the business trifecta, we'll reveal our secret formula for media success. Another important distinction is that there are two types of media--mass media and targeted media. Mass media is, for the most part, considered to be made up of television, radio and newspapers/magazines. Mass media does two amazing things for you: it builds credibility as well as awareness. Now, the thing that most people forget when they are plowing ahead with big PR budgets to get into mass media is that "you can't eat credibility or awareness," i.e. they don't usually generate revenue without some form of direct solicitation for business. That's where marketing comes in.

The second type of media is known as direct media. This is the kind of media that, typically, you create and most importantly you are in charge of where it gets distributed.
Great examples of direct media can be seen in websites, direct mail, newsletters, magazines, flyers, CDs, and DVDs, just to name a few. By distributing this media to an audience you select, and by you being involved in the creation, you can directly solicit business with it through sales copy and a "call to action", and you can make sure people see it as many times as you want. Therefore it becomes a form of direct marketing. The problem with direct media is that it lacks any real form of credibility.

When you are soliciting someone for their business, they immediately put up their guard because people love to buy but hate the thought of being sold because they have had experiences in the past that ended negatively when they made a bad purchasing decision. So, increasingly, consumers look to third party credibility in the form of testimonials and product reviews, but there's another form that works great too, and that's where the secret formula comes in. The best solution for this credibility issue can be found by combine the two forms of media, mass media and direct media.

So here's what you do. You try to get mass media--television, radio and newspaper/magazines--the fastest, easiest way you possibly can. Then you take your direct media, the stuff you can spend as much or as little money as you want on it and as much or as little time as you want on it, but you can control it, and you insert your mass media credibility in the direct media. So, for example, the next time you send out a sales letter or a mail piece, or you send out an e-mail or an e-zine, you now have the credibility of being in mass media to insert in it. What happens when someone comes to your website or they see your mail piece, it effectively if not bluntly says, "You may have seen us or our products recently on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX affiliates or in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today or Newsweek."

Now let me ask you this, do you think that won't get you taken a little bit more seriously? I can tell you based on literally hundreds of case studies, it absolutely will get people to pay closer attention to you and what you have to offer.

Our point here today is you've got to take mass media credibility--television, radio and newspaper/magazines--and insert this credibility in your direct media. Make sure you don't make the mistake of spending all the money you can on trying to get on TV, trying to get in the papers or trying to get on the radio without a plan for using this media in conjunction with direct media for your marketing. If you fail to use these two types of media together, then you'll always fall short of the results you could have had.

In our last blog on FastCompany.com, we talked about putting some personality in your marketing, but we wanted to expound a bit due to some questions we got. This whole concept fits in very well with the new transparency movement, which you've undoubtedly heard a lot about recently, because letting people know who you really are is an important part of transparency. But you might be saying, "Well I'm not a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, or (insert what you do here) so that won't work for me." Or, "but I run a large company, and it's not just about me." What we want to share with you today is the fact that this same exact concept also works really well for big companies too, not just for solo practitioners and small businesses. Corporations can use this concept to create what we call "internal evangelists."

WATCH VIDEO with Nick Nanton: The Rise of Internal Evangelists

Look at it this way, if you were to take your entire staff of let's say a hundred people, and you were to train them well, (this is the key, training them well up front) and then set them loose on the Internet and social media. What do you think that would do for your business? We know it might sound scary but, if you set them loose with the knowledge they have, here's what would happen--you would create your own Wikipedia of sorts for your business and your industry with a bunch of personalities who would go out and reel in the business of people who connect with that they have to say. Your sales team isn't going to be able to connect with everybody. They will likely only be able to making meaningful and lasting connections with a small portion of the market that you could be serving. For example, if you are in the tech industry, your sales team might not connect at all with decision makers at other companies who have backgrounds as coders or graphic designers. But, what if you could match up a coder, with a coder? Get the point?

If you would set the knowledge free that's in the minds of the employees that are working with you, you would be creating internal evangelists, people who work internally for you and spread the word about what your company does to the outside world, by doing this more prospects will come across your employees' information and will create bonds with new potential clients that you might never reach on your own. We all know that consistent, relevant content drives traffic online and the beauty of this type of system is that the knowledge your company will be spitting out on a regular basis will be voluminous if you have 20, 30, 50, or even a hundred employees out there using social media and the Internet to push and let people know about you. This works even better if you can teach them to display their expertise, and show their personality, like we discussed in two of our previous blogs. This concept can absolutely make your business explode.

Another key point that we want you to understand is this concept works in any way, shape or form. Let's look at a quick example, back on the small business side, of someone you may not normally consider as a small business owner--a dentist. So, if you went to a typical dentist's Web site, what would you see? You'd likely see a bunch of stock photos of random smiling people.

You've seen these types of photos on all the stock photo Web sites, but here's the thing, they are useless when trying to build a relationship with your prospects. All you are showing them is some random people! 99% of the time these aren't even people who the dentist has ever worked on! What a mistake! These Web sites, with random photos on them would not let you in at all to who the dentist is and why you might want to choose them as your dentist. Compare that to a dentist who has used some of the tactics we've talked about in our previous posts, who is displaying their personality and expertise.

Now, let's say you you're new in the community and you didn't really know anyone but you needed to go to the dentist. So what you would most likely do is hit the search engines and look for a dentist in the area? That's also where your potential clients are starting, but we digress. In our example, let's say the search engine delivers two Web sites that seem relevant to you and are in a close enough proximity that is convenient enough for you.

The first one, we'll call him Joe Dentist. He's got these random smiling people on the front page and his office hours, maybe a phone number, perhaps a map to his location--but that's probably it. The second dentist, who we'll call Jane Dentist, who has perhaps been reading our blog, has a big button encouraging you to download a portion of her bestselling book that happens to be about the exact issue you're experiencing. She's got video of her being interviewed recently on the local news, or even just a video of a friend or patient interviewing her. She's blogs regularly about things her patients would be interested in, she's got articles that cover common myths about what is and isn't good for your teeth, all searchable so you can find what you want when you need it. She's got press releases too! The first one is on how she was just named top small business in her community and the second one talks about how she just filled her 10,000 cavity.

Now, let's stop and ponder: which dentist are you going to want to go to? The boring guy or the lady who you now not only feel is amazingly qualified, but after watching some of her articles and videos you actually feel like you know her?! The first guy you probably couldn't pick out of a lineup!

If you want to take it even further, to a level of sharing your hobbies and affinities with your potential clients, you can become even more magnetic. Let's talk about the dentist who likes Harley's and he post pictures of himself taking Harley tours up and down the East Coast and he has a link to his local Harley Club. It may not be for everybody, but the people who are into Harley's--where do you think they're going to go?

To ping on the concept of allowing your employees to get involved on more time, you should note that Twitter recently started allowing accounts to have "Contributors" because there was a big debate on whether or not it was misleading to have multiple employees tweeting from a corporate account. So, Twitter came up with the concept of having group accounts and they now allow contributors to tweet from group accounts, so they can amass more follower, but each contributor is able to be identified.

Twitter accounts used to be associated with just one person and it was tricky for big corporations who wanted to amass lots of followers, but had multiple talented people who wanted to tweet, but now you can have multiple contributors inside your company, again let me point out that they need to be good hires who are well trained, who can go out and become evangelists for what you do to the outside world. A great example of this concept is Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos. Zappos allows all of their employees (more than 1800 last I heard) to get on Twitter in the name of Zappos, with one goal--to help customers get the best customer experience possible.

When I stopped and asked Tony if he was afraid about what they might say, or what the rules were for social media he essentially said (and I'm paraphrasing here), "We don't have any rules for social media. We just hire right and we fire fast if we need to." You've got to give your employees some room to be themselves, and you've got to let them display their expertise and let them get out into the world in ways that they normally wouldn't in a typical corporate structure. If you do that, your business will grow in new ways and your business brand will come alive based on the way your employees are out interacting in ways that you could never do on your own.

In case you missed our point, these strategies work for everybody, everywhere and you can use them in any business. But you've got to display your expertise and you've got to show your personality and you should really consider letting some of your employees get involved too. Who knows where it might lead!

Many people who we come into contact with have amazing personalities, in person, and then we go check out their content (their blogs, articles, videos, books, etc), and it's totally flat and stale--or what we often describe as very institutional or corporate feeling.

We're going to tell you to do the exact opposite. That is not at all what your clients and prospects really want. They want to know who you really are. Think about it this way, the way that you connect with people is really based on a scale of how much you can relate to them, i.e. how much they are like you. For example, if you are a 35 year old housewife, and a 25 year old stockbroker with no kids who works 80 hours per week tries to give you advice on how to raise your kids, how do you think you'd take it? Probably not real well. Agree?

So, if you want to build your personal brand and be perceived as an expert by your audience, ultimately your expertise has to align with your personality and who you're trying to connect with. Although scary at times, that means you have to let people in on who you are. We've heard it said before that it's 10 percent what you know and 90 percent the other stuff. We're not positive that ratio is exactly right, but it does a great job at making the point that "people have to know you before they'll listen to you." That's what my friend James Malinchak says and we agree. People have to know you before they'll be willing to listen to you because if they don't know who you are then they don't know if they should take your advice. So, you've got to let them in. That also means you can and likely need to show them your quirks and idiosyncrasies. Some experts choose to get into politics, religion and everything else, that's totally your call whether you want to go that far or not, but it is important for you to know that the more polarizing you are, the more magnetic you will become to those who are like you. It's a really interesting phenomenon that through the things you say and do, the more you let people know who you really are and let them into your innermost being, the more they'll either see themselves or see they're not like you.

And the more polarizing you are, the more you'll push some people away too, but the people who identify with you will be even more attracted to you. If there's any personality that you are aware of right now that you cannot stand, and you can't possibly understand how they have the following they have, it's because of this rule. There are people who feel like them and the more polarizing they are the more they're drawn to them.

We want you to focus on showing more of your personality. You can do this online and offline. We have lots of great online tools that will allow you to get started instantly.

Facebook, for example, is a great tool because you can share literally anything on Facebook--videos, links, pictures, blogs, articles, anything you want. And people can start to understand who you are, even if the information you are posting is not anything that you created on your own! By sharing content that appeals to you, you are becoming a curator of content, and that content will appeal to others who share the same interests with you, people who are like you. That's ultimately what you're doing on Facebook for your circle of friends-- you're showing them things you think they'd be interested in.

Another great tool is Flickr.com. Flickr is a really neat social photo and video sharing service. I (Nick) don't usually go to Flickr.com and post a lot of photos, but I use an application called Posterous.com anytime I take a photo or a video on my iPhone and I email it to Post@Posterous.com and it automatically posts the photo or video on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and just about any other social network that I want to post it to.

Sometimes I'll post funny pictures or videos of my kids. Sometimes I'll post a video from a seminar I'm attending or I'll link to a blog I really like from Mashable.com of FastCompany. Why? Because when you let people see parts of your everyday life and it allows you to start showing another dimension of who you really are. You give them bite-sized glimpses of your personality.

We call these "personal hooks." The more you're willing to share who you really are with people, the more personal hooks you throw out. If I (Nick) tell you that I used to play tennis for four hours a day in high school, that I got recruited to go play tennis in college, that I love the Florida Gators, but not as much as my wife because she's only missed like eight home football games since she was seven years old, (she even goes to the games where the gators play teams like "Upper Lower Northeastern Southwestern State" and those are the games I'd stay home from!). If I told you we have a five year old son, and a two and a half year old son, and that my two and a half year old broke my LCD TV last month and my new iPhone this month, you'd then realize you probably shouldn't give my two year old your electronics, but you'd know much more than that!

The more I tell you, the more you're going to know about me and you're likely going to find something that you're interested in too that you can use to connect with me, something that gives us some common ground, and that's ultimately my goal and when building your personal brand that should be your goal as well. You've got to give people reasons to want to like you, reasons they'll be attracted to you, think they're like you and ultimately trust you and do business with you.

We're going to share one last secret with you in this post that will help you share your personality while also helping you convert your personality into sales. This is the formula for what we call an "Origin Story." You should use your origin story a lot. You're going to recognize the format from your favorite Richard Simmons infomercial, or something similar, but here's how it works. We're going to a weight loss infomercial style example, because it's an easy one to follow and to recognize the core elements of what you need.
Here is an example of an origin story for an expert in the weightloss realm:

"Hi, I'm Jim and I'm 6'2", weigh 140 pounds and I'm built like a brick and I get more dates than I've ever gotten in my entire life. I used to have my life, but now I absolutely love every moment of my life."--Part 1 is you tell them who you are now.

This next part, you need to use these magic words or something similar, "but it hasn't always been this way." These words allow you to connect to the rest of the world because the first part of your origin story where you show how happy and fulfilled you are, can make a lot of people want to shut down and stop listening to you because you just sound like another successful person bragging about how successful you are.

But when you say, "But it hasn't always been this way." Their mind starts to turn back on and they think, "Wait a minute." Then you tell them how much you used to be just like them. Again, in our example, the story would probably go something like "I used to be 500 pounds. Used to use my exercise bike in the bedroom to hang clothes from. I used to feel like people were always laughing at me, it was hard to get out of bed every morning, didn't have the confidence to get a date, I was lonely." You're now telling your audience the part of the story that they can identify with.

You tell the audience all the ways you used to be just like them. Then you move to the third part of your origin story, the secret.

"Until I discovered _____" Now, the audience is dying to know the secret. The secret, of course, is usually the product or service you're promoting that can help them overcome their issue, their "point of pain."

In our example, this next part would look something like this: "Until I discovered my 10 step formula" or "Until I discovered this new product." You tell them whatever it is that is the secret to solve their problem, which is followed up with the magic words, "And now I can show you how you can do the same thing."

So, to recap the 4 part formula for your origin story:

1. You show the audience how successful you are, which actually can build some resentment because your audience will think, "That's what I want to be, but I'm not. This person must be special, and I'm not, so now they're just bragging and rubbing it in my face, so I don't like this person."

2. "But it wasn't always this way" and you tell them how you used to be just like them.

3. "Until I discovered" which then makes the audience perk up because they see that you aren't that special, you just found the secret, and of course now they're dying to know.

4. "And now I can show you how you can do it too." This shows your audience that you really aren't any different from them, you just found the secret they haven't found, and now you are willing to share it with them too. They'll love you and they'll be willing to pay for your secret if it relieves a great pain in their personal or professional life.

There you have it. That's the formula for the origin story. It will allow you to show your personality as well as the reason why your audience should listen to you and follow what you have to say.

To recap: Show your personality, let people know who you really are, utilize an origin story and your business just get bigger and better.

Orlando, Fla. – September 8, 2010 – Co-founder of the Dicks + Nanton Branding Agency and best-selling author, JW Dicks, Esq., America’s Foremost Expert on Personal Branding for Business Development, recently posted a blog exploring the possibility of resurrecting old ideas to help spark new business ideas.

The latest blog, titled “Personal Branding Strategies: Out of New Ideas? Check the Attic!,” was posted on August 30th, 2010, on JW’s website, http://www.JWDicks.com. The post includes the following excerpt:

So what does this (previous story) have to do with business growth and personal branding? This family had completely run out of options… they were stuck. Many of us have been in this position with our business. Now, you may not have been on the verge of closing up shop, but were you stuck on a plateau? Was your business just not growing? Had you run out of ideas?

When was the last time that you stopped to think about all of those ideas that you once had, but had just stuck in the “attic?” Maybe when you started your business, you had a certain direction in mind, and just got sidetracked. Perhaps other opportunities came about and were easier or more lucrative to pursue.

Well, if you’re ever in that place where you feel stuck, why not pull those old ideas out of the “attic” and see if they can fit into the business that you have built. It might just be the perfect idea to stimulate a new marketing campaign or business strategy. Maybe it will help you reach a certain niche within your client base.

The entire post is available at http://www.jwdicks.com/blogroll/personal-branding-strategies-out-of-new-ideas-check-the-attic.php

To learn more about JW Dicks and the Dicks + Nanton Agency please visit http://www.JWDicks.com and http://www.DicksNantonAgency.com

About J.W. Dicks:

J.W. Dicks, Esq. is America’s foremost authority on Personal Branding for Business Development. He has developed some of the most successful mass media and multi-channel business marketing campaigns in the country and built multi-million dollar businesses on the back of them – to the tune of more than $500,000,000 in sales.

J.W. represents some of the top marketers and professional experts in the world in the growth of their businesses using online and offline business development systems, social media, multi-dimensional marketing, franchising and strategic legal structure to accomplish their goals and capitalize on the assets they create.

A “Best Selling” author with more than 14 published books, and hundreds of articles, J.W. has also been quoted or appeared in Newsweek, The Wall street Journal, USA Today, NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX affiliates as well as Entrepreneur’s Start-Up Magazine, Forbes.com, CNN.com, and many other national and local media outlets.

In addition to coaching and consulting for clients nationwide, J.W. is also a successful entrepreneur living in the trenches himself. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales exceeding $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and created and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

J.W. is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

J.W.’s business address is in Orlando, and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife of 37 years, Linda, and their two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing… although the fish are rumored to be safe.

JWDicks@DicksNanton.com • 800.980.1626
http://www.DicksNanton.com

Orlando, Fla. – August 24, 2010 – In collaboration with America’s PremierExperts®, co-founder of the Dicks and Nanton Branding Agency and best-selling author, JW Dicks, Esq., America’s Foremost Expert on Personal Branding for Business Development, recently released the book, Power Principles for Success. The book features the authors sharing their biggest success secrets for a life of health, wealth, happiness and prosperity. America’s PremierExperts® is a group of America’s leading experts in various fields of business. They are celebrity experts who are dedicated to spreading knowledge and awareness in their field of expertise and making significant contributions to their industry and the marketplace as a whole.

Power Principles for Success was released on July 28, 2010. On the day of release, the book was a #1 Best-Seller in the Direct Marketing category. The book also reached the best-seller list in two other categories. JW Dicks, Esq. authored a chapter in the book titled, “Align Your Dreams, Goals & Values.”

JW Dicks is one of America’s leading experts on using personal branding to build a business. JW emphasizes building a personal brand, and the importance of online and offline marketing to his clients and gives them strategies to expand their business in the current economy.

On Friday, July 30th, America’s PremierExperts® and all of the authors held the official launch party for Power Principles for Success in Times Square in New York City, NY.

To order your copy of Power Principles for Success, please visit http://www.amazon.com/Power-Principles-Success-Brian-Tracy/dp/0615369596/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281555230&sr=1-1

To learn more about JW Dicks and the Dicks and Nanton Agency please visit http://www.JWDicks.com and http://www.DicksNantonAgency.com

To find out more about America’s PremierExperts® visit http://www.AmericasPremierExperts.com

About J.W. Dicks:

J.W. Dicks, Esq. is America’s foremost authority on Personal Branding for Business Development. He has developed some of the most successful mass media and multi-channel business marketing campaigns in the country and built multi-million dollar businesses on the back of them – to the tune of more than $500,000,000 in sales.

J.W. represents some of the top marketers and professional experts in the world in the growth of their businesses using online and offline business development systems, social media, multi-dimensional marketing, franchising and strategic legal structure to accomplish their goals and capitalize on the assets they create.

A “Best Selling” author with more than 14 published books, and hundreds of articles, J.W. has also been quoted or appeared in Newsweek, The Wall street Journal, USA Today, NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX affiliates as well as Entrepreneur’s Start-Up Magazine, Forbes.com, CNN.com, and many other national and local media outlets.

In addition to coaching and consulting for clients nationwide, J.W. is also a successful entrepreneur living in the trenches himself. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales exceeding $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and created and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

J.W. is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

J.W.’s business address is in Orlando, and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife of 37 years, Linda, and their two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing… although the fish are rumored to be safe.

JWDicks@DicksNanton.com • 800.980.1626
http://www.DicksNanton.com

About America’s PremierExperts® LLC:

America’s PremierExperts® is an organization dedicated to recognizing business experts in their field of expertise and offers business owners, entrepreneurs, professional speakers, authors, professionals and corporate CEOs exclusive opportunities for further exposure and growth in the marketplace. JW Dicks, Esq. and Nick Nanton, Esq., Media and Business development experts, founded America’s PremierExperts® to showcase entrepreneurs, CEOs, authors, professional speakers and businesspeople who are dedicated to spreading knowledge and awareness in their field and making significant contributions to their industry and the marketplace as a whole. For more information on becoming one of America’s PremierExperts® visit http://www.americaspremierexperts.com/become-an-expert

Orlando, Fla. – August 17, 2010 – Co-founder of the Dicks and Nanton Branding Agency® and best-selling author, JW Dicks, Esq., America’s Foremost Expert on Personal Branding for Business Development, recently published an article exploring the shift in Sesame Street’s brand focus, and what businesses can learn from it.

The article, titled “Personal Branding: Do You Need To Shift Your Focus,” was posted on August 16th, 2010, on JW’s website, http://www.JWDicks.com. The post includes the following excerpt:

Why am I writing about Sesame Street today? Because we can all learn a valuable lesson about personal branding from this quintessential American brand.

Sesame Street is a business just like any of ours. Even when we think that we have developed the perfect personal brand, there may always be an opportunity to change the focus of that brand. I’m not advocating changing the things that have made your business brand a success, just finding a way to re-focus your brand to a new audience that will not alienate those who have come to trust and respect your brand the way it is.

Try to think of ways you can re-focus your personal brand that appeals to the new generation – without sacrificing the traits that made your brand the success that it is!

The entire post is available at http://www.celebritybrandingagency.com/articles/personal-branding-do-you-need-to-shift-your-focus.php

To learn more about JW Dicks and the Dicks and Nanton Agency please visit http://www.JWDicks.com and http://www.DicksNantonAgency.com

About J.W. Dicks:

J.W. Dicks, Esq. is America’s foremost authority on Personal Branding for Business Development. He has developed some of the most successful mass media and multi-channel business marketing campaigns in the country and built multi-million dollar businesses on the back of them – to the tune of more than $500,000,000 in sales.

J.W. represents some of the top marketers and professional experts in the world in the growth of their businesses using online and offline business development systems, social media, multi-dimensional marketing, franchising and strategic legal structure to accomplish their goals and capitalize on the assets they create.

A “Best Selling” author with more than 14 published books, and hundreds of articles, J.W. has also been quoted or appeared in Newsweek, The Wall street Journal, USA Today, NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX affiliates as well as Entrepreneur’s Start-Up Magazine, Forbes.com, CNN.com, and many other national and local media outlets.

In addition to coaching and consulting for clients nationwide, J.W. is also a successful entrepreneur living in the trenches himself. He has built his own businesses, with annual sales exceeding $35 Million, developed real estate in excess of $200 Million and created and sold intellectual property rights for as much as $1.8 Million.

J.W. is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason College of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, NASD, National Association of Realtors, the Florida Bar and the Virginia Bar.

J.W.’s business address is in Orlando, and his play address is at his beach house where he spends as much time as he can with his wife of 37 years, Linda, and their two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing… although the fish are rumored to be safe.

JWDicks@DicksNanton.com • 800.980.1626
http://www.DicksNanton.com

Companies must take control of their own brand message and use their own media to do so when possible. LeBron James' control of ESPN's own show, to announce his jump from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat NBA Franchise, was as strong of an in-your-face illustration of the point as you can make.

James told ESPN who would interview him, when they could pop the question on his choice of teams, which sponsors would fill the hour long show, and perhaps more importantly, where the money paid for the sponsorships would go. Like it or not, and many journalists don't, this is just the beginning of high profile sources taking control of a news event. The bigger the story, the more control the newsmaker will have--and that means content control, revenue control and residual spinoffs. Whether you like the way it went down or not, take a look at the opportunity it presents and think about how you could leverage this kind of coup using your personal brand like LeBron did on a local, regional, national, or industry level.

In a world where athletes and celebrities now have their own direct relationship with fans through social media channels, they can not only deliver the news, they can bring the eyeballs to watch the announcement. When the fans have fun and the media and the celebrity make money, who is to complain except the purist--and that cat is out of the bag.

Even though you may not have superstar status in your own market, don't miss the point that this same formula can also be used in other ways. Local announcements of sports events or celebrity appearances can be used to create your own media appearances where you act as host, agent, deal maker, or sponsor depending on the role that best helps to elevate your personal brand. Use of news to expand your brand is not a new idea, but it's taking on a new form that offers lots of opportunities.

This acknowledgement by Disney of the importance of “thinking”, about how a personality brand is perceived on many levels by your audience, is a lesson we all need to keep in mind. Clearly Disney is concerned about brand reception and its effect on a brand with $5 billion in annual merchandise sales. Your company’s brand might not have billions at stake but what you do have is just as important to you.

Brand reception by your audience, no matter how big or small, must always be a concern and mixed messages can be as large a problem as bad messages. This is one reason that we encourage clients who have businesses driven on personality brands to be consistent not only with the verbal messages they are conveying to their audience but the more subtle messages as well. Brand reception is particularly important in the age of Facebook and other social media sites where some brand personalities might relax too much. Yes, it is important to let your personality come out and let your client/customer base know who you are so you can create a stronger bond. This is one of the strengths of building your business based on personality branding. However, you must at the same time be cautious to realize that you are being watched by your clients and the messages you are sending must remain true to the brand you are building or someday you may have to, “rethink” the direction your brand has taken.

Customer endorsements
Continuity programs
Loyalty programs
Sweepstakes
Rebates
Coupons
In-Billing advertisements
Business reply cards
Location-Based targeting.

Keep your eye out for my emails and blogs which will carry the heading 30 Year Proven Marketing Strategies and the number I am commenting on.

Loyalty programs are well known and clearly successful. Best Western is one of the oldest at 20 years, but most big hotels and airlines now have some sort of a program.

One of the interesting things about these programs is how they expand and contract over the years and how they are also adaptable to any kind of business - national or local. On the expansion level, Delta just announced that you can trade in sky miles for many other things instead of just flying. Miles can be redeemed for gift certificates to national restaurants and retail merchants. These expanded offerings were resisted for a long time but I think they will find it makes the use of the miles accumulated easier and members will think of the airline more often and more favorably when they can use the miles for items they might otherwise have to pay cash for.

Loyalty programs are also adaptable. We use a variation program in our Kennedy’s Barber Clubs. If you are a member, you are given a business card with your own name on it and are invited to hand them out to your friends with a free “haircut and Shave” coupon on the back. If the coupon is redeemed and the customer becomes a new member then the member who passed out the card gets a free month of service. It is a great deal for everyone. Members have an opportunity to do a favor for a friend and at the same time get real value awards for the gesture. The Club benefits in the form of referrals which we all know are one of the strongest methods of marketing.

Cross promotions between merchants also work. Examples are easy to see on a national level with American Express cross promoting with airlines but down at the local level the idea can be adapted too. A men’s retailer can cross promote with a woman’s retailer to provide gift opportunities to their clients and the gift doesn’t compete or hurt their own sales since it is to a different gender.

How can you use a loyalty program in your business? What steps need to take place to implement quickly?

As we all know, the best time to connect with a prospect or customer is when we are able to enter into the conversation already going on in their head. This time of year there is lots going on and thus lots of opportunities.

The following holidays are opportunities for you and the key dates are obvious, but some not so obvious ones can be used just as effectively to touch your clients and prospects.

-Christmas
-Thanksgiving
-American Education Week (second week of November)
-Family week (4th week of November)
-Nov. 27 Black Friday (biggest shopping day of the year and everyone is looking for a buy)
-Nov. 11 Veterans Day
-Nov. 17 World Peace Day
-New Year’s Resolution suggestions
-Predictions for the New Year
-Send your Christmas Cards out
-New Years Eve Be Safe Reminder
-Plan Your January Marketing campaigns so you don’t miss the excitement of a New Year.

Pick one or all of these ideas - but don’t miss this opportunity to connect with your clients and prospects because if you don’t...someone else will.

Happy Holidays!

The bad news is that the car they loan me is a very nice… Honda Accord.

Ok, I know, I sound ungrateful, but I’m not. I am trying to teach lessons on branding and this is one they haven’t learned. I don’t want you making the same mistake. “Never cheapen your brand.“

Please note: There is nothing wrong with Accords. I actually owned one many years ago. However, if I am selling Mercedes and am giving an Accord to my good clients look what I am saying to them:

1. An Accord is a good car and you might want to consider it if you want to save some money (like during a recession).
2. And Accord is dependable which is why we loan it out.
3. You are a good customer but not good enough for us to loan one of our Mercedes to.

In addition to these non verbal messages (none of which you would really want to convey), they are also missing out on a “prime” opportunity; put me into one of their new cars and have a customer service (aka salesman) go over the car before I drive it off so I “properly understand how to use all of the wonderful new features.” And, when I return, meet me and see what I thought about the experience. Two chances to test my sales pulse. Two chances they get without having to spend money to market to customers just to “try” and get them to come test drive their cars. They spend lots of money normally doing this and they could do it spending no money and giving happy experiences to customers getting service done at the same time.

Hopefully, you aren’t making this same type of mistake with your customers but it is always profitable to stop and look at things you are doing that could be viewed differently than intended. Sometimes it is the case of using the wrong person in a relationship role; sometimes it is an error in the sales choreography your company uses that conveys an unintended and unwanted message. Take a moment, “walk your business” and see if you need to corrected and unintended mistake.

Happy Branding!

Nike is using social media and viral marketing to promote its annual Human Race series by inviting consumers to join the race through an email campaign with user generated video. While there is no direct connection with a sale of products, Nike is getting users to help build its brand and when consumers are directed to Nike’s website for registration they capture their information. I encourage you to go to Nike’s specially designed website, www.What-Cha-Doin.com, to view their campaign and go through the process yourself (see they even have me referring people to the site). By visiting the site, what you will notice is that they have set-up a program for the consumer to personalize the email they send to their friends and even include the friends running abilities and hobbies. It will be interesting to see how Nike uses this information at a later date to target advertising or other emails they send out from the names they collect.

One segment of the tour is a visit to the “underground” part of the Magic Kingdom - the tunnels below. On tour, the very knowledgeable guides explain in detail some of the “insider” points of what Disney does and the thought process that goes with it.

On this particular trip the guide told us about Disney’s Pin trading. For those of you who don’t know, Disney borrowed the idea of trading Pins from the Olympics when they observed people from different countries using it as an ice breaker to make conversation and connect with each other. Disney then created its own pins for guests in the park to trade with Disney employees or “cast members,” as they prefer the term. Obviously, in order to trade a pin you had to buy one and thus a new product line began to the tune of what is now a $100 million a year industry with its own events, including cruises.

The Pin trading venture is a whole study itself in the process of creating new verticals for your own business - but today’s lesson is perhaps more important. Our guide pointed out excitedly that it really wasn’t the pins that were important; it was in her words, “all about the opportunity to build a relationship with our guest.”
I doubt the guide thought of this on her own, and if she did Disney should certainly give her a raise and a bigger job, for the point is dead on. A sale, no matter what the product, is an opportunity to create or continue a relationship with your customer. The sale will not last. The relationship can. The true value of any sale is not today’s value but the lifetime value of that customer today and tomorrow.

In the current issue of Forbes Magazine (September 2009) another method of valuation is discussed which makes personal branding or celebrity branding even more valuable. This valuation is called “incremental value” and it is viewed as the value brought to a business not just in terms of a current sales increase, but overall company valuations for potential sale of the business itself.

The article focus on the increased value of three NFL football teams – the Patriots, Jets and Cowboys after they hired Coach Bill Parcells to turn around their football team. It then demonstrated the economic effect of that hiring to their overall corporate value.

During the Parcells tenure with the teams their total value increased by $1 billion dollars; which was $300 million more than the increased value they would have gained if their appreciation had merely tracked that of the entire league. Frankly, that number did not even allow for the fact that for at least some period of time there would be an added residual increase after Parcells left the team.

Naturally, it isn’t fair to say that it was just the fact that Parcells was promoted as the new Coach that increased the value of the team, because it was his coaching and performance that did the job. The better the team did, the higher the ticket prices were ,as well as the prices of other products. Overall sales increased as well, leading to higher valuations. Nevertheless, the name ”Parcells” now carries with it a value of its own, and that is the essence of the value of personal branding. This is true in football, business or even politics for that matter. At some point, the name becomes the brand and it has an intrinsic value of its own.

The conclusion we want to bring out to this study is the fact that personal branding or celebrity branding has many values including the pull and name recognition to catapult any business or professional practice. Don’t minimize the value as just a short-term boost but instead, see the longer term value added for yourself and your business.

Buzz Lightyear is yet another example of the continuing development of “personality branding” that Disney is so successful at. Buzz, not only has ventured into space but has his own attraction, ride and gift shop at Disney where you can buy his entire lineup of products. Surely another Buzz movie is on the way and Disney is already in discussions with the Smithsonian Institute for an exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum, which likely will be a home away from home for Buzz and company, solidifying the Buzz brand not just as a cartoon or toy figure but also as an educational product.

The lesson in all of this from a business perspective is to see how you can use your “personality” to build your brand. You can be the action hero in your own products world, and while you may not be able to give yourself a ticker-tape parade, you can participate in one. As an example, for about $2,000 you and a group of your friends can actually be in Universal Studios’ Thanksgiving Parade and hold the ropes to one of the giant balloons you see on TV. A little picture-taking of you holding a copy of your book or product, and you can produce a press release about you and your product appearing in the Universal Thanksgiving Parade. You could even join the new Buzz Lightyear promotion by buying the Buzz toy, putting him on your shoulder and taking a picture outside the Disney attraction. Your picture caption could read “Buzz welcomes you to Disney” or something fun to that effect. Or maybe take a video using a Flip HD Camera and post it on your web site or YouTube, and all of a sudden you are connecting in a new and fun way to your own customer base. Yes, publicity can be both fun and profitable…just ask Disney!

The SEC is very worried that fans will become their own broadcast stations for football games through the next generation of Flip HD cameras and so they are introducing rules they hope will stop the loss of their exclusive broadcasting rights before the loss begins. They are imposing new rules to prohibit fans taking pictures during games and posting them on Facebook, YouTube or Flickr. Oh yeah, just in case you wondered, you can’t Tweet about the games either.

If you think the SEC will be the only event organizer who sets new media policies, think again. The billion dollar TV rights buyers will demand the program sellers try and do something to preserve the exclusivity of their broadcast rights. Anyone with half a brain knows this is going to be like putting your finger in a hole in the dike. The over flow will be everywhere. How the SEC thinks they will enforce the new rules will be a question without an answer, although early on we may see some season ticket holders banned and a few lawsuits used to scare people just as in the days of early Napster.

The real answer the SEC and broadcasters are missing is the lesson social media brings us in the first place. More involvement by fans in the entire experience will only improve the interest in what is being broadcast and a rabid fan is more valuable than a fan who thinks big brother is watching his every move.

Trying to fight city hall has always been a losing proposition and the same is true for trying to bridle technology and fans. The more you try, the worse it gets. Transparency should be the new mantra for big institutions, government and yes, even football conferences.

In any event, both the play and the work were of great value and while I might write on my Facebook wall about the fun side of Disney, there is plenty to comment about on the “work” side of things.

Disney is one of the best studies of Personal Branding there is. Starting with the original brother Walt and running to the expanded personal brands of characters such as Mickey, Donald and Goofy, the company has now further extended to rock and television stars such as Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Just like their cartoon characters, the Disney Company creates, packages and then builds an entire industry around the real life stars as well. Lest anyone think that the characters aren’t treated as people with their own specific brand position and product line you have only to look to Goofy, one of my favorites. Goofy has his own cartoons, hats, t-shirts, and even now a Goofy food company. What Disney does, and is one of the best at it is, “run deep” with every character and personality they have letting the market dictate how far they go.

The lesson to each of us is a reminder that we have an opportunity to do the same with our own personal brands. Don’t stop at offering just one level or one product of your own brand; see how far your brand will take you. If you are a dentist, be all you can be as a dentist but don’t be afraid to spread your wings and stretch out into other areas such as coaching other dentist who may not be as far along in their practice as you are with yours. Take some of your more successful dental marketing ideas and offer to license them out for dentist to use in other areas of the country were your practice isn’t located and won’t compete. In some cases you may find that your license fees become as profitable as your practice just as franchises have discovered franchise fees can be just as profitable as opening a store themselves.

We as individuals marketing our own personal brand have an unusual opportunity to expand in a variety of ways never before available because the internet has given us the ability to do this at minimal cost. The challenge is to take an audit of all the assets you have, determine who might profit from those assets including your knowledge, and reach out across the web to find those people and do business with them. There is a new frontier for growing yourself as a personal brand using all of the elements of online marketing and social media. The opportunities for profit are huge just as Disney has shown us. It’s all pretty exciting!

Back in the “old days” most things were bought on cash but if you didn’t have the cash to buy, retailers came up with a system called a lay-a-way plan. The retailer held the goods and you made payment to them. When you were done paying the full price you got your furniture, dishwasher or whatever. Christmas lay-a-way assured gifts for the kids.

Over the years, the plan morphed into giving you the furniture at the point of purchase and making payments. Then someone got the bright idea to charge interest and once that took off credit cards began. Soon, merchants were making more on their financing charges than the sale of goods (GE Capital) and the world of credit was born perhaps to all our chagrin.

History has a way of repeating itself and during this economic downturn the lay-a-way plan has made a comeback in various forms and from unusual sources. Who would have ever thought a Music Festival would be sold that way.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California offered a Lay-a-way plan this year for the first time in their ten year history. Customers had the option of buying their tickets over several months by putting 10% down and the balance over two additional months, with the final payment due prior to the event.

The payment plan was adopted because other festivals have had to cancel their events this year due to sluggish sales. The plan has been working. The organizer was quoted as saying, “without the lay-a-way option we wouldn’t have done so well”. Like any good idea it is also already being adopted at other festivals in Tennessee, New Jersey, and Arizona.

The NFL also now uses a similar payment plan for their season tickets. You start paying right after the season and get paid up before the new season begins.

We use a lay-a-way option in our own business. The Ultimate Celebrity Branding Experience™ payments are spread out over 12 months; franchise legal work and business consulting are all extended over at least 12 months instead of charging the full fee or requiring the total to be put on a credit card and the client getting killed by interest. We are convinced it has made a tremendous difference in everything we do and why our business is growing rapidly even in this economy.

We aren’t alone and several of our clients including Orthodontist, Donna Galante and Paul Cater (www.luvmysmile.com) have added monthly payment programs to their standard pricing. Clearly others should consider doing the same no matter what your business.

If you adopt a variation of the lay-a-way plan in your practice we encourage you not to add interest. All of us are very serious about our dislike of interest payments right now, and we all would love to avoid paying it when we can. You will make more sales by not charging interest and that alone will increase your bottom line.

What this record shows is that people will pay for what they "think" is working, even in a recession. It is up to us to find what “will” work for our customer and give it to them. That is not to say that I think an ad that cost that much is even worth it if it isn’t direct response. It definitely reminds me of some of the advertising purchases during the dot come boom which saw the business quickly go broke after spending big money on their ads. We all need to remember it is the right kind of ads you buy that is important. And how can you tell if your money has been well spent if you can’t or don’t measure the results?

Remember, ROI (return on investment) is a number you must know and monitor on your advertising and marketing or you can’t compare where your money is going and pulling the best.

On the other hand…you probably won’t get your 30 seconds of fame on the Super Bowl if you are counting pennies.

The Bizidea lesson: Telling someone thanks is always a good idea and I don’t know if this is a nationwide movement for Southwest or just something the Las Vegas guys thought of but it works at two levels. People are happier when they are thanked and when you hear thanks for the tip said by many people while you are waiting in line you can’t help to feel like a jerk if you aren’t fishing in your pocket looking for a tip to fork out when you check your bag. In an economy where many people are cutting back they sure are forking over the cash in Vegas.

The next time you have a training session with any of your employees that deal with your customers (even if you are your lone employee) remind them to thank your customer for their business. You may not get a tip but over time you will be rewarded.

At 6 after the first day, everyone is invited to a cocktail party for a meet and greet. Free food and drink… so most attend including me.

Towards the end of the party and much to my surprise I was approach by two mid 20 something low v-neck type attractive young women. I knew at once something was up since it has been a number of years that a twenty year old approached me for anything.

“Hi”, the blond said extending her hand to shake and immediately establishing rapport. “What are you doing”, she added. Gawking was what I wanted to say but fortunately managed to come up with something about meeting new people to which she and her friend replied they were too. For the next few moments I found myself interested in hearing a slightly different sales pitch about how they were out meeting people too and inviting them to come out to their club. To make a longer story short, the Club was a “Gentlemen’s Club” and their limo would be happy to take me there and bring me back. The pitch was great but I declined and knew I had something to tell you.

The Biz Lesson…. Businesses everywhere are down because we are… whether we like it or not… in a world recession. We all have two choices. Hide our head in the sand and ignore the economy or face the fact and go out and get business. I don’t know whether the two ladies were self motivated or their club owner made a decision to take matters in his own hands and send some of his employees to find business and bring it back but that was exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t sitting back and moaning about the weather or any other excuse he might have come up with. He knew there were people in town at other places and one way he could reach them was to take the party to them wherever they were. My business side wanted to meet the owner and quiz them on their strategy. I didn’t think I could pull off explaining to my wife where I had gone to do a little research on business so I can only relay my observations to you instead. If the business isn’t coming to you, … go to where your customers are. Maybe that’s trade shows, Chamber of Commerce meetings or, like this one, cocktail parties. The point is, where ever your customer is, design a marketing plan to find your customer and go shake hands. It beats the wait. Think about it.

Clearly the big 3 dragged their feet in producing new car concepts that went with the times and their bottom lines are terrible. Yet seemingly nothing was being done about it. I am totally fine with paying big salaries to people who produce but just like football if the Coach or top player isn’t producing it is time for a change.

BizIdea: Take a look at your business. Reward the people who are producing and let go those that are not. Yes, those decisions are tough but delaying them will only risk the possibility that your business may find itself having to lay off even the producers. Moves like that makes no economic sense nor does it serve the core reason for being in business. To risk repeating. The purpose of business is to serve its customers in the best fashion it can and to make a profit so it can keep serving those customers. Miss either side of that equation and sooner or later your business will pay for it.

1. Get more credit cards. Yes, I know some people are advising against this because it could have an adverse affect on your credit score. I can argue about how that theory is wrong, but your credit score isn’t the important point today, credit is. The problem is that banks are raising rates on credit cards on any excuse they can find. Additionally, they are also freezing cap amounts and no longer extending credit. As you pay down the credit card, your cap automatically lowers. This gives you no more credit and makes that card worthless to you. You need to get more credit cards when you can so you have options if problems with your others occur. New cards often have low teaser interest rates for 6 to 12 months. We all know this can work against you when you hit the time deadline but in the meantime you can transfer balances on cards you are having rate spikes with today. Deal with today’s problems and then work on cures for the future.

2. Watch your merchant accounts carefully. Banks have the right at any time to pull out money for a reserve if they feel they need to. If you are counting on that money for operations, and all of a sudden it gets frozen, you can be in big trouble. The best recourse against this is to build a relationship with someone at the bank who works in merchant services, and the higher up you can go the better. The relationship isn’t a guarantee something won’t happen - because most of the banks are tied in with card processors and don’t do the work themselves. Nevertheless, you are better off with a bank advocate pleading your case then you are talking to the 800 number recording.

3. Establish more than one merchant account. Banks always want all your business but today you simply cannot afford to do that, or you may wind up with an account you can’t use - and it will take more than 30 days to get a new one. In the mean time, you can’t take new charges on your old merchant account so you lose lots of cash flow. Having a back up is an answer, and use both of the accounts for some of the processing each month so you always know they are working. Even then, alarms will go off when the account all of a sudden has more money running through it then the bank's computers think is normal - but at least you should be able to explain that you are now using them for all of your processing, so that’s the reason for the spike.

4. Consider lining up one or more investors who are prepared to step in should you have a crisis. If your merchant account does get a reserve requirement slapped against it, you will eventually get the money so you could use that reserve for a private loan. I am not saying this is easy, but thinking about this and other resources before a problem occurs, gives you more time to act - because you know what you need to do and who you might call to help.

The Business Lesson: In business you cannot be prepared for everything, but you can be prepared for the things you know are coming and if you are not prepared, there is a great chance that mistakes can and will happen. There isn’t any excuse in that.

Not to long ago there was a very successful bestselling book call, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . While I understand the point the author was making about the importance of not getting stressed out, I hasten to point out that good business is the essence of sweating the small stuff. To review every detail of an event, sales letter, marketing campaign or new hire is important. If you can’t do it yourself make sure the person handling the job for you can or get someone else.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court made a mistake today that could have been prevented. Unfortunately, he will have to live with it. Don’t put yourself in the same position.

In every type of business, there is a gap in what the product or service provides the customer and what the customer really wants. We call this the Opportunity Gap.

Your job as the owner of a business - or even as an employee – is to find the opportunity gap and structure the exploitation of it to increase profits for the company.

It is easier to spot the opportunity gap by looking at some examples. After you learn to spot the gap, then focus your attention to your own business, and you may see an opportunity quickly.

Federal Express was built on the opportunity gap created by the post office snail mail delivery.

Dominos Pizza exploited the gap based on slow delivery and changed their policy to deliver in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.

Re/Max Realty found an opportunity gap by paying real estate salesmen 100% of the commission.

By Owner Realty saw that percentage commissions were too high and filled the opportunity to help people sell their properties themselves.

Southwest Airlines exploited high fares and the uniformity in airlines.

Wal-Mart slashed prices and became the de facto choice of bargain hunters.

EBay brought auctions online, creating a unique marketplace.

There are hundreds of other businesses both large and small who found opportunity in a niche gap created in the marketplace. Sometimes, the gap is huge and allows great potential opportunity for the first mover who spots it. Sometimes, the gaps are small, but applied on a local level they can make a substantial return on investments. This occurs with lightening speed on the internet as entrepreneurs quickly move to take advantage of gaps.

Look at your business.

What are both you and your competitors not doing right now that could be exploited for additional gain?

What else do people who use your product or service need that they are not getting from you and have to go elsewhere to get?

These are questions to ask yourself on a regular basis until something changes and you see the opportunity gap. When you see it, act fast and try to protect your position by copyright, trademark, patent, or some other form of legal structure if you can. If you cannot do that, then move quickly and announce to the world that you are filling the gap. Fortunes have been made on less.

It is a good idea because there are frequently mistakes in them that lower your credit score and as we all know, credit is tightening. Go to the web site I have listed, and you can order free from one, or all three at the same time. If you order one now, you can then order from the other two over the course of 12 months so you can view your credit more often. Order all three at once and you’re done for 12 months, which I don’t think is as good.

http://www.annualcreditreport.com

What “secondary assets” or underused product or service do you have in your present business that you could use to make more money? While the opportunity may be in a similar arena to what you are currently doing, it may also be in a new direction. You may capitalize on something else you haven’t used yet or previously had the time to explore. Perhaps the opportunity is even outside of your company, such as a joint venture or applying your technology or know how to help someone else capitalize on what they don’t see or are not using to their advantage.

Whenever I think of ‘secondary assets” I always think of Post It Notes and how something can be discovered even by mistake, that can change the face of your company forever. What do you have that is underused?

This economic upheaval is making strange bedfellows. If the big three highly competitive auto makers can join forces to borrow on one of the biggest loans of our time it is clearly a sign that we should all consider our own venture opportunities we may have shunned in the past.

Vegas is…well…Vegas. There may be a slowdown in people who are here but there are buildings being built and cranes moving, so I guess the city developers didn’t read about the recession or some are just getting ready for the turnaround. The hotel for the event is called the Palms and I have discovered that it is the only Playboy Club in existence. Wonder what they paid Hef for that license agreement?

Anyway… I was in the elevator on my way to my room and it was flying through floors at what seemed like unusually fast speeds. I wondered why they felt it was necessary to add so much speed. Then it dawned on me. Money. Of course…follow the money. The faster you get out of the elevator, the faster you get on the floor and bet money. I will bet there is some green visor genius sitting in some accounting office in Dubai figuring out the numbers for how much more money they make if they get every gambler out on the tables x minutes fast over the course of a year, several years etc. I bet it pays for all the elevators and then some.

The business lesson : It’s all in the details. If your telephone is answered faster is your prospect less irritable and more likely to buy? For some businesses the question may be if your phone is just answered is there a better chance your prospect will buy. You get the point. Details can make a big difference particularly now in slower times. My suggestion to us all is to do a walk around our business and see what is going on. Are there details that can be altered just a little in a phone script to increase your numbers? Are your employees offering additional products to clients when they speak to them. These little bumps should be high margin items that boost you profit per sale. The saying is that “the devil is in the details”. I say it’s the “money” in the details.

Senator Kennedy and Rep. Rosa DeLauro are pushing the “Healthy Families Act”. Who could object to a wonderful name like that?

The bill requires any firm who has 15 employees to provide a minimum of 7 days of paid sick leave. I have no problem with that and have always had sick leave days in my companies. My preference is that you don’t come in when you are sick and spread whatever you have to everyone else. The problem with this law comes in the form of detail. The bill allows you to take the leave anytime and in the smallest increment the employer tracks payroll, and no notice is required. This kind of language would allow an employee to show up consistently late with no advanced notice, ultimately causing all sorts of problems with real staffing issues, especially in shift positions. An employer would have no retribution for such tardiness and disruption to everyone else.

There are other new bills coming down the pipeline, which impact our business. I encourage you to look beyond their names and see what the real affect they will have on your business. If you like them, great - but if you don’t, let your Congressman or Senator know they need to make some changes. To do nothing is a mistake.

During this recession and economic pullback, price can have an appeal and if you can compete on that level than you should point it out loudly and even make it a competitive advantage.

A couple of interesting examples and how value can be successfully marketed is Validas (www.myvalidas.com) and InchWorm Shoes (www.inchwormshoes.com).

Validas offers to shave an average of 22% off your mobile phone bill by letting them analyze what you are currently paying and making some suggested changes. You can upload your bill and pay $5 for a report that shows a breakdown of usage, compares carriers, and makes other suggestions for saving money.

InchWorm Shoes is a clever example of problem solving. We all know the cost of shoes and for kids how fast they outgrow them. Inchworm Shoes has a special technology that allows you to increase the size of your child’s shoe by pushing a button and pulling on the toe. Shoes can grow in half size increments and can expand up to three sizes… now if they could just do that for men’s pants I’d save a ton.

Keep thinking about the benefits your products and services have and remember …price can be a successful one.

We tried taking some pictures of some very unusual thing, and the order information we got back was at least always interesting. But if you took a picture of something normal like a book or electronic gadget, the results were right on.

Apparently the service uses a combination of computer technology and human interference, which I am sure will be decreased as time goes on. This is not only a cool new service for ordering, it can be a great price comparison system. (My tech son-in-law tells me there is an app that scans bar codes even better but I haven’t done that yet.)

It really is quite a gadget that really works, so check it out!

Who is making money now and what are they doing?

Let me give you an example. Six months ago Mortgage brokers were dying on the vine. Many talented people in the industry went broke or moved out of the business because the mortgage industry dried up.

Now, things are changing. No, not everyone is making money but some are, and the industry is starting to turn because interest rates are falling. When long term rates fall far enough, people begin to refinance.

Refinancing is a sweet spot in the mortgage brokerage business because anyone with property and an interest rate about 1.5% higher than the refinance rate is a candidate to refinance and the sale to those people is starting to become a no brainer. Once the rush begins, history shows us that money is to be made fast for those that get their business lined up and a system to process it. So who is making money now…The mortgage brokers who are flexible are starting to and the trend will now be up not down. People that begin to follow the trend will reap some great rewards.

What else is starting to change again in the economy or, to say it another way…who is making money now? Follow it.

Normally I have a policy for street people and when they ask for a little donation, I give it to them. I was a bit stunned, but not that blinded, and this guy got zip.

Guess he was working the averages but I never saw him get any money.

What's the business lesson?

Always ask for the order and never stop. Sure we all get our share of no's but a yes is sure to be just around the corner.

In the July issue of our newsletter, I talked about opportunity brought about by economic upheavals. The government bailout that Congress just passed is the next opportunity.

There is no question that all of our customers and clients are concerned about what is going to happen next, and rightly so. However, as I mentioned in the previous newsletter, problems mean opportunity.

Problem: People are being laid off.

The Opportunity: Job-training programs, employment agencies and entrepreneurial training are all businesses that can prosper. I think that franchising (one of our businesses) will get interest from lots of people who have previously been interested in doing something else, but have been reluctant to move because they had a good job. Now they may be unemployed and the decision is made for them. Many of these people have some money saved and realize that they need to do something with it before they spend it trying to hold out.

Problem: Real Estate foreclosures.

The Opportunity: The government bailout will create multiple opportunities by offering real estate to investors who are willing to move it off the banks’ books. Sure, the investor will have to hold the property for a few years, but you may be able to buy at 20 cents on the dollar.

Problem: Lenders not making loans.

The Opportunity: In the past, people have put together private pools of money to back local projects for a good interest rate; and since there are not many good investments out there this will get interest again.

Look in your own town and see where the problems lie. Wherever the problems are, the guy that can help solve them can do some good and make some money. Those of you who remember the last government bailout (The RTC) in the late 80s early 90s know what I mean. Fortunes were made solving problems then, and new fortunes are going to made solving the problems again.